The PENON official thread

[Dsnuts]

Not a review, yet. I am working on it. I am still on vacation mode and will be back home soon to continue my daily activities. I have much more to say about the Archangel when I get to it. Its an absolute banger of an IEM. One of Penons best stuff to date, easily.

 

[emdeevee]

Not a review, yet. I am working on it. I am still on vacation mode and will be back home soon to continue my daily activities. I have much more to say about the Archangel when I get to it. Its an absolute banger of an IEM. One of Penons best stuff to date, easily.

He is not kidding around, and he's heard all of them. I'm behind, but not that far.

Archangel is the best Penon thus far that is under $1200.

 

[caryking]

I can’t put the FAN 3 down, for some reason. I just like the midrange on these a lot…. This morning with KAEI TAP1 Pro and PSU2. Notice the IsoAcoustics Pucks underneath…. I’m a fan of using them. Waiting on the Totem Ultra 4.4 male to male interconnect…

 

[MD Rohit]

Lately, I’m getting more into earbuds, and just around that time, I received an offer from Penon to review their new model — the Penon Conductor. Funny thing is, at that moment, I had absolutely zero idea about this thing. This was completely new to me.

Like always, first thing I do after hearing any new name is straight Google search. What I found out was pretty interesting — it’s an earbuds that use a dynamic driver for sound and also a bone conduction driver. Plus, you can even adjust the bone conduction driver output level!

From what I was seeing, the overall design and idea seemed really nice to me, so I immediately told Penon that I’m interested to review it. Fast forward few days later, the product finally arrived at my hand. After a long time of testing and using, today I’m here to share my proper review with you all.

full review
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-conductor.27560/reviews#review-37816

 

[LoryWiv]

I think the EBC80 will be on the chopping block soon? I'm gonna wait though, until my most recent cable purchases (the last until these tariff issues are resolved) arrive, then I'll do some side by sides, because right now, next to the Archangel's full and refined sound, the EBC80 can come off as rather bush league, and I do enjoy the EBC80, so it doesn't come from a place of hate, but it just sounds undefined, intimate, and thin in comparison.

I'm also a fan of the Fan 3. I love everything about it but the unrefined bass, but it's good enough that I tend to overlook it. The midrange is so sweet and incisive, as is the very natural and airy treble, plus the stage and spatial cues are natural and well behaved, and not exaggerated like so many BCD IEMs. Much like how the Archangel is well behaved and natural with the BCD.

I happened to be listening to the EBC80 as I perused this thread. EBC80 is fitted Azla Sedna EarFit Max Standard Tips, with Penon OSG Cable, running through my newly acquired Shanling UP6. While I agree it is not the last word in resolution or refinement, it is oh so musical and enveloping, while still able to reward some degree of analytic listening. It makes a great compliment to my UM Maven II which is a bit more technical and I tend to run through warmer sources My EBC80 is definitely not on the chopping block!

As an aside, aesthetically I do feel it's beautiful faceplates win the refinement contest hands down versus the flashier Archangel. Of course YMMV.

 

[emdeevee]

Last night, I did some back and forth listening with the new Archangel and the venerable Voltage to remind myself. Archangel with switches D/U and Voltage U/U.

Voltage is not retired by Archangel and my prediction was off. There's no doubt that the BCDs are creating a more holographic image with Archangel, but Voltage remains incisive and transparent, and I think it will still edge out the Archangel for treble extension likely due to the power of Archangel's bass which certainly is heftier than Voltage, as Voltage remains a very balanced affair.

Definitely room for both of these in my collection!

 

[somnarium]

Joined the club.

Appearance better 'in person'.

Nozzle about 6.2

Super fast delivery - thanks Penon.

Listening to come...

 

[GroovyAudio]

Joined the club.



Appearance better 'in person'.



Nozzle about 6.2



Super fast delivery - thanks Penon.

Listening to come...

6.2???? WOW!! My small ears will be happy!

 

[lucanato]

Oh my god same sentences used for ebc 80 for the archangel: it's worth more than 1000 euros etc etc

And nobody will speak again about ebc80

every time a new penon product comes out, there is such a huge concentration of messages about that product that it almost becomes a brainwashing to buy it

 

[somnarium]

6.2???? WOW!! My small ears will be happy!

Yeah, around 6.2 to 6.3 depending on the angle

 

[vandung2510]

Oh my god same sentences used for ebc 80 for the archangel: it's worth more than 1000 euros etc etc

And nobody will speak again about ebc80

every time a new penon product comes out, there is such a huge concentration of messages about that product that it almost becomes a brainwashing to buy it

Well tbf, it's ISN vs Penon in this case :v
But i don't think nobody will speak again about the EBC80 tbh. I feel like the EBC80 is on a similar situation/place with the Serial, where it's apparent that there is some special sauce going on with the EBC80. EBC80 is the top of the crop in ISN lineup so i think people will talk about it for at least another year or so, like the EST50.
As for the Archangel, it is the 1st ever collab Penon iem

But i do agree with your sentiment about the "worth more than 1000 euros" though.

 

[bithalver]

Oh my god same sentences used for ebc 80 for the archangel: it's worth more than 1000 euros etc etc

And nobody will speak again about ebc80

every time a new penon product comes out, there is such a huge concentration of messages about that product that it almost becomes a brainwashing to buy it

As we say in a Role Playing Game: do a resist check !

Well tbf, it's ISN vs Penon in this case :v

Whose are the same company .

But i don't think nobody will speak again about the EBC80 tbh. I feel like the EBC80 is on a similar situation/place with the Serial, where it's apparent that there is some special sauce going on with the EBC80. EBC80 is the top of the crop in ISN lineup so i think people will talk about it for at least another year or so, like the EST50.

/signed

As for the Archangel, it is the 1st ever collab Penon iem

But i do agree with your sentiment about the "worth more than 1000 euros" though.

How much an item is worth depends on a real lot of factors. We are still in a revolution: every year we could have better IEMs than before for less price.

---

I think if you check the classifieds there is not so many EBC80 you can find; that speaks volumes to me. Even I/O Volare has more occurrence (which is a fantastic one ).

Yeah, the hype is gone because we have new toys in the meantime. Way of life in a 1st world country I guess.

 

[caryking]

That's a close one. I haven't tried the SE, just the regular Phantom, but if I compare that to Archangel, Phantom is a bit more out of the head like EBC80 where Archangel keeps it a bit closer in. It makes one more laid back (Phantom) and the other more energetic and lively (Archangel).

It’s been a while; however, the Phantom was one of my favorite sounding IEM’s. I really wish I had another opportunity to hear one.

 

[Kukikoki]

I’ve seen the graphs of the Achangel online; however without any reference target I have no idea what they mean. Am I right in seeing that the subbass is massively boosted and the midbass is quite a bit tucked? The highs also seem way forward. Still debating hard on EBC80 vs Archangel, and as I’m gonna go CIEM as neither will fit my children’s ears in universal.

 

[vandung2510]

I’ve seen the graphs of the Achangel online; however without any reference target I have no idea what they mean. Am I right in seeing that the subbass is massively boosted and the midbass is quite a bit tucked? The highs also seem way forward. Still debating hard on EBC80 vs Archangel, and as I’m gonna go CIEM as neither will fit my children’s ears in universal.

Oh man you worked me up just to let me down I thought you meant the Archangel graph's on squig database